51. Chapter 51
Chapter 51
I absolutely adored Jennifer Gentry. I was prepared for a sobbing mess of a woman. That’s probably how I would be if I’d had a breast removed today, but her attitude was so incredibly positive.
We’d talked at length about dancing, and she’d shown me some behind the scenes pictures from her movie. She even opened up to me about why she stopped pursuing a film career. Her mother’s asshole boyfriend’s attack on her had caused her to withdraw for a long time, and she didn’t want to be in the public eye.
That made me sad because she’d had such a promising career.
After eating some chicken broth, her eyes had grown drowsy, so she was napping when my phone rang with a call from Cam. Stepping into the hall, I answered it.
“Hey, Camel Toe.”
“What the hell is going on, Mallori?” he demanded, and my heart rate sped up.
“Wh-what do you mean?”
The puff of air being expelled from his lungs floated down the phone line. “I mean, what’s going on with Hawk? First you went to his cabin back in the summer, and I just found out you’re in North Carolina with him.”
Shit. I forced a calmness and a bit of indignation into my voice. “Well, we’d just survived a tornado, and there was no electricity. Do you know how hot it is in Texas in August without air conditioning? He had a cabin with full electricity, and we took advantage of it.”
There was a pregnant pause, and then he said, “Okay, fine. I guess I understand that, but why did you go with him to North Carolina?”
“Because his sister had a breast removed this morning, Camden Fitz.” My voice snapped with anger. “Do you have any idea how traumatic that is for a woman? I thought she might need another female around to talk to. She’s certainly not getting it from their bitch of a mother. That woman showed up here a little while ago while Jennifer was napping. She dropped off some flowers and left. Barely said two words to Hawk.”
“Shit, that’s fucked up,” Cam replied, the edge gone from his tone.
“And also, I thought it might be nice if Hawk didn’t have to travel alone. His sister is very important to him, and this is hard on him. He may not show it on the outside, but watching his sister fight cancer eats at him. All you guys have welcomed me into your group, and you’re all my family now. I would do this for any of you if your wives or sisters or mothers were sick.”
I could almost see him nod as he answered in a chastised tone. “You’re right, Mal. I’m sorry. Do you think the guys and I should fly out there?”
“No, it’s fine. Jenn should be released tomorrow. I know Hawk wants to stay a few days to make sure she’s settled. If he stays longer than that, I’ll fly back alone since I have finals the week after Thanksgiving.”
“Okay, is there anything I can do to help? I think Shark ordered some flowers for Jennifer from all of us. Should be delivered today.”
“You might call or send a text to let Hawk know you support him.”
“We’ve already been doing that in the group text,” he replied, “but you’ll let me know if there’s something he needs? He’s not great at asking for help.”
“I will.”
“Thanks, Mal. And thanks for being there for my friend. I just… I worry about you. I wish you’d come to live with me and Shiloh after the shitshow with your dorm.”
I softened my voice. “I’m sorry, but my schoolwork is very demanding, and my study schedule is insane. It’s quiet at Hawk’s house.”
He chuckled. “Are you saying my kid is loud?”
Laughing, I gave him a diplomatic answer. “I’m saying I don’t want you and Shiloh constantly shushing Bella in her own home because I need quiet time to study. That’s not fair on a kid. Plus, the studio is right there in Hawk’s house so I can teach my private lessons two days a week and not have to drive through Dallas traffic to get there.”
“Yeah, I understand what you’re saying. It does make sense.” He hesitated for a second. “So there’s nothing going on with you and Hawk?”
“Not a thing.” Not now, anyway. This summer though…
“Does he, uh, have women over while you’re there? ”
A knife-like pain shot through my gut at the thought of Hawk with someone else. “No, but I don’t get home until late on the nights I have study group. Maybe he has lady friends over then.”
I didn’t know if that was true or not. It might be, but I was too chickenshit to ask him because I really didn’t want to know about it if he did. I didn’t think it was, though perhaps that was wishful thinking. The scent of women’s perfume never hung in the air when I arrived at the house, and I usually found Hawk in the kitchen, busy warming up something for me to eat on my late nights.
He was so good to me, always making sure I had enough to eat while I lost myself in my studies. And every Sunday, he helped me meal prep my lunches for the week.
“Yeah, maybe,” Cam chuckled. “It makes me feel better that he’s not entertaining while you’re there.”
Images of Hawk entertaining other women made my stomach roll over on itself, and I had to force out a fake laugh.
“Nope, no entertaining that I’ve seen.”
“All right, good. Remember to call me if any of you need anything.”
“Oh, there is one thing. We left the automatic feeder on for Coconut, but could you or Shiloh go over and check on her? Maybe play with her for a couple minutes?”
“Yeah, we can do that. I’ll take Bella. She’s surprisingly gentle with that kitten.”
“Maybe you should think about getting her one.”
“I might do that,” he said thoughtfully. “Look, I’ve gotta run. My child is being quiet, and that’s not usually a good sign.”
“Good luck with that,” I said with a laugh. “Love you, Camel Toe. ”
“Love you too, Marshmallori.”
I returned to the room to find Jennifer awake and chatting with her brother. A few minutes later, a well-dressed woman arrived, bringing a stack of books and some snacks.
“Hey, chick,” she said, setting down her load before kissing Jenn on the cheek and settling into the chair beside her.
“Hey, Hazel,” Jennifer said with a smile. “How was your morning?”
The woman had mocha skin and curly dark-brown hair that skimmed her shoulders. “Ugh. It was exhausting. I was hoping to be here earlier, but every child in North Carolina seemed to develop a rash today.”
“Hazel is a pediatrician,” Jenn explained before introducing us all.
We chatted for a few minutes before a knock sounded at the door. Hawk answered it, and a whirlwind of color entered the room.
“The Hair Queens are here!” one of them announced. They were all dressed in adorably ridiculous tutus in a variety of bright pinks and purples, and each of them wore a rhinestone tiara.
One of them carried a large case under her arm, and another started pulling out plastic champagne glasses and a large green bottle. We all watched in bright-eyed amusement as they took over the room.
“You must be Jennifer,” the apparent ringleader said, shaking the patient’s hand. “We’re here to do a consultation with you in case you need a fabulous wig once you start treatments. I’m Ellie, the manager of The Hair Queens.” She pointed at the other two. “That’s Aurora; she’s a cosmetologist and hair stylist, and the brunette cutie is Mila, our wigmaker.”
They all waved enthusiastically, bringing nothing but love and energy to the room.
“Before we get started, the first rule of Hair Queens Club is…” Mila started.
“That no one talks about Hair Queens Club?” Hawk finished, and everyone laughed.
“Noooo,” Mila continued, pulling a bunch of tiaras from the bag on her shoulder. “It’s that everyone in the room is also a queen.” She walked around the room, putting tiaras on everyone’s head. When she got to Hawk, he shook his head and stood with a chuckle.
“You know what? I’m going to let you queens have your fun while I go check into the hotel room.”
“Your loss,” Aurora said, setting out the champagne glasses. “We were just about to have some bubbly.”
Hawk’s eyes widened, and he hissed at her. “Jenn is on pain medicine. She can’t have champagne.”
The woman gave him a good-natured roll of her blue eyes. “Oh, cool your jets, mister. This ain’t our first rodeo. It’s only ginger ale.”
With a grin, Hawk kissed his sister’s forehead. “I’ll be back in a bit. Thought I’d pick up something for dinner. The nurse said you can try something besides broth tonight.”
“Ummm, what about chicken noodle soup from Jerry’s Deli? You remember where that is?” Her brother nodded, and as he patted her arm and began to leave, she added, “And don’t forget to get me one of those rolls. I’m convinced those things could cure anything. ”
“I’ll get you two then,” he said, striding toward where I was standing beside the door. I loved seeing him with his sister. They had a beautiful bond, and he was so sweet to her. Kind of like how he was with me. Does he think of me like a sister now?
Hawk stopped beside me. “Do you want to go with me?” he asked quietly, and I shook my head and lifted the fake champagne someone had handed me.
“No way. I’m not missing this party for anything.”
His hand lifted, as if he was going to touch my face, but then he dropped it and graced me with that panty-melting smile of his. “Okay, Bee. Have fun.”
Once he was gone, Aurora, Ellie, and Mila explained how everything worked. Their philosophy was to bring joy to those who needed it in their lives.
“We think mental health is just as important as physical health for healing,” Ellie commented. “There are many studies that back that up.”
“Each of us are either cancer survivors or have a family member that battled cancer,” Mila added, “so we know how hard it is to lose your hair. I use only human hair, and I make sure my wigs are comfortable, unlike many of the ones online.”
They started passing wig samples around, and I’d never had so much fun in my life. Hazel was sporting a dark-purple spiky one, while I was wearing a curly gray number that looked like something my Grandma Fitz used to wear.
“Ooh, Jenn,” Hazel cooed at her friend, whose dark hair was covered by a long wig with wavy blonde locks. “You look fab as a blonde. ”
Jennifer was smiling into a mirror, tilting her head from side to side. “I do like it. What do you think, Mallori?”
“I think it makes your eyes pop. They usually look hazel, but the blonde hair brings out the green.”
“I think I want a change,” Jenn said, still staring at herself and touching the thick, silky hair. “I think I’d like a blonde one.”
Ellie turned to Mila. “How are we on blonde stock?”
The woman scrolled through her iPad before grimacing. “A little short, but I think we could pull it off. Might take an extra four weeks though. We’re doing that hair drive at the mall next week, so maybe we’ll have some luck.”
“That’s our most requested color,” Aurora explained. “You know, because everyone thinks blondes have more fun.”
“So you get all the hair from donations?” Hazel asked.
“A hundred percent,” Ellie said with a wicked grin, “because sneaking into people’s houses and cutting off their hair is frowned upon.”
Everyone busted out laughing as an idea struck me. Leaning over, I whispered something in Mila’s ear, and she grinned.
“Mallori, you’re my new best friend.”